How to have a roaring good time at the zoo (ages 5 to 8)

by
Nita Gill

With enough energy to outdo a humming bird, your active school-age child will find the zoo a perfect venue for all that get-up-and-go. What's more, watching animal behavior is an intriguing way for your child to exercise his increasing concentration and attention span. Your child is old enough to be involved in the planning stages, so the fun can start right away.

To make your trip especially memorable, Cindy Wallace, a mother and the education manager at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, sister facility to the San Diego Zoo, offers tips for an outstanding zoo safari.

Before you go:

Pick a theme. Feet, for instance. Ask your child, "Will the bears have paws or claws or both? How will the zebra's feet differ from the lion's? Will any of the animals have feet like ours?" If your child is a budding scientist, you might choose classification as a theme: birds, reptiles, and mammals. For more challenge, expand the subject to carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, or animals that are cold-blooded or warm-blooded. If you pick a topic days ahead of time, you and your child can look for the different feet or types of animals in children's books, in your backyard, or on TV. Children benefit from having a sense of purpose when they chart new waters; a theme helps direct them. Older kids also like having a goal. For instance, suggest, "When we get to the zoo, let's see if we can find ten different kinds of feet or ten different mammals that eat meat."

Design an itinerary. Remember, it's a jungle out there. And with so much to see, you don't want to end up missing the lion cubs' feeding. Search the zoo's website, or call the main number for updated information. You may discover that there are new bear cubs or baby chimps with special viewing times, or other scheduled events your child won't want to miss. You can also check out the permanent exhibits, find out if there's a tram through the park, and peruse dining options. After gathering the facts, you and your child might pick several of the most enticing exhibits and plan your day around them. Also, call a day ahead of time to be sure that must-see displays won't be closed for maintenance. Although exhibit closures are often planned far in advance, wild animals are unpredictable.

When to go:A good general rule: If you're comfortable and energetic, the animals probably are, too. During the cooler, morning hours, the critters tend to be more active. In the warm afternoon, they're likely to seek shade for a snooze. During the summer months, when zoos are open later, dusk can be an active time as well. Nocturnal animals, such as the loris (a primate), sleep during the day and are just waking up. (Maybe that's another theme: What happens when the sun goes down?) If you're eager to see newborns, spring and summer offer the best opportunity. In the fall and winter, look for seasonal festivals.

Once you arrive:

Check out the map. With your itinerary in hand, you and your child can now chart the best way to proceed on your safari. How far is the petting zoo? Where can you stop for lunch? Where are the rest rooms located?

Let the theme begin. Look at the pelican's funny feet. Do you think it can scratch its head with its feet? Bears have paws AND claws. As your child compares the different feet, he's unwittingly learning to classify. Kids who are learning about different types of animals might make a point of naming all the mammals they see. (Many kids are surprised that both zebras and whales are mammals.)

Have a seat. The park bench next to the baboon cage or elephant pen — or wherever you get tired — may be the best seat in the house. It's tempting to move quickly from exhibit to exhibit, but you're more likely to see fascinating animal behavior if you linger.

Look for close encounters. Patting the back of a sheep may provide an even bigger thrill for your child than, say, watching the polar bears from a distance. Most zoos have contact areas or petting zoos where your child can interact with animals. If your child is tentative about approaching these gentle critters, sit down, watch them for a while, and talk about their appearance and actions. Don't insist your child touch an animal; doing so could create a fear rather than a curiosity of wildlife. If your child is anxious to run her fingers through a goat's coat, explain that it's best to pet animals on the back — animals, like humans, don't like hands coming at their face. If feeding is allowed, you can purchase food at the contact area. Offering food other than what is provided by the zoo can make an animal sick. Remember to wash hands after your close encounter — many petting zoos provide wash facilities, but you might want to carry hand sanitizer or wipes just in case.

Hide your fears, if you can. If snakes give you the creeps, hang back while your spouse takes your child into the reptile house; the less fear you show, the less likely you'll pass that fear to your child.

Be sensitive to your child's fears. If your child thinks wolves are scary, read a book about them (if your child is willing). Knowing more about these creatures can help lessen the fear factor. At the zoo, announce when you're approaching the wolf exhibit, since surprises can be frightening. Let your child decide whether to skip the display or to view it from a distance.

The purr-fectly packed backpack:

Snacks. Every zoo will have food, but you may want to pack snacks and drinks, anyway, in case your child gets hungry or thirsty at a particularly exciting exhibit. (Call ahead of time to find out if you are allowed to bring snacks into the park; a few don't allow it.) For fun, pack snacks similar to those the animals eat. While the seals are dining on fish, your child can chow down on his "fish" crackers. Fruit is a favorite of many animals, too.

Bring the adventure home:By continuing to talk about the theme, the zoo experience can live on long after you leave. Which animal had the funniest-looking feet? Is a baboon a mammal? What does it eat? Or maybe your child wants to write a story about the silly sea otters or draw a picture depicting the monkeys swinging through the trees. Drawing and talking and writing about the animals help turn the experience into a fixed memory.

A fun fact:Did you know that a giraffe's tongue is 17 inches long? That's the length of most children's arms. And many baby giraffes are 6 feet tall at birth, the same height as some dads.

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